25 May 1880 Bwavatsky[2][3] and Owcott[4][5] embraced Buddhism: dey pubwicwy took in Gawwe de Refuges and Pancasiwa from a prominent Sinhawese bhikkhu.[A] Owcott and Bwavatsky (she received US citizenship previouswy) were de first Americans who were converted to Buddhism in de traditionaw sense.[7]

In Buddhowogy dere are an impression dat de "deosophicaw Buddhists" were de forerunners of aww subseqwent Western, or, as dey were cawwed, de "white" of de Buddhists. In addition, dey have attempted to rationawize de Buddhism, to cwear de doctrine, removing from it an ewements of "fowk superstition". In addition, dey tried to identify Buddhism wif esoteric doctrine, recognizing de Lord Buddha as de "Master-Adept."[B][C] And finawwy, dey considered it deir duty to provide assistance and powiticaw support to de oppressed Sinhawese Buddhists.[9][D]

Theosophicaw revivaw of Buddhism

In 1880 Owcott began to buiwd up de Buddhist Educationaw Movement in Ceywon. In 1880 dere were onwy two schoows in Ceywon managed by de Buddhists. Due to de efforts of Owcott de number rose to 205 schoows and four cowweges in 1907 (Ananda Cowwege in Cowombo, Mahinda Cowwege in Gawwe, Dharmaraja Cowwege in Kandy and Mawiyadeva Cowwege in Kurunegawa). Thus began de great Buddhist revivaw in Ceywon, uh-hah-hah-hah. Owcott awso represented de Buddhist cause to de British government, and found redress for de restrictions imposed against Buddhists, such as de prohibition of processions, Buddhist schoows, de improved financiaw administration of tempwe properties, and so on, uh-hah-hah-hah.[6]

Owcott "united de sects of Ceywon in de Buddhist Section of de Theosophicaw Society (1880); de 12 sects of Japan into a Joint Committee for de promotion of Buddhism (1889); Burma, Siam, and Ceywon into a Convention of Soudern Buddhists (1891); and finawwy Nordern and Soudern Buddhism drough joint signatures to his Fourteen Propositions of Buddhism (1891)."[6][4]

An important part of Owcott's work in Ceywon became de patronage of young Buddhist Don David Hewavidarana, who took himsewf water name Anagarika Dharmapawa.[7][11][12][E] Dharmapawa, a founder de Maha Bodhi Society, Sri Lanka's nationaw hero, was one of de major figures in de movement for de revivaw of Buddhism in Ceywon during de British cowoniaw ruwe.[14][F]

In December 1884 Bwavatsky, accompanied by Leadbeater and de marrieds Cooper-Oakwey came to Ceywon, uh-hah-hah-hah.[15] Leadbeater, fowwowing de exampwe of de weaders of de Theosophicaw Society, has officiawwy become a Buddhist, widout renouncing Christianity (he was an Angwican priest).[16] David joined de Bwavatsky's team to go to India.[G]

Upon arrivaw in India Dharmapawa as a member of de Theosophicaw Society worked wif Bwavatsky and Owcott. They advised him to devote himsewf to de service of "de benefit of mankind," and begin to study Pawi and de Buddhist phiwosophy.[11][18]Sangharakshita wrote dat at de age of 20 years Dharmapawa was eqwawwy fascinated by bof Buddhism and deosophy.[19]

After returning from India, Dharmapawa worked in Cowombo as generaw secretary of de Buddhist section of de Theosophicaw Society, and as director of de Buddhist press.[11][20] In 1886, he was a transwator, when togeder wif Owcott and Leadbeater made a wecture tour of de iswand.[21] He hewped Owcott in a work on de organization of Buddhist schoows.[11] When Owcott instructed Leadbeater to prepare a shortened version of de Buddhist Catechism, Dharmapawa undertook to transwate it to Sinhawa.[22][H] Work of Dharmapawa and deosophists contributed to de revivaw of Buddhism in Sri Lanka and oder countries of de Soudern Buddhism.[24]

Leadbeater has initiated de organization in various parts of Cowombo a warge number of Buddhist Sunday schoows. He awso founded an Engwish schoow, which water became known as Ananda Cowwege (one of de most famous schoows of Ceywon). Among de pupiws of dis schoow was a young Buddhist Jinarajadasa, who water worked as de fourf President of de Theosophicaw Society Adyar.[25][I][J]

In 1893, Dharmapawa went to de West, first to Engwand and den to de Chicago, where he represented Buddhism at de Worwd Parwiament of Rewigions. Awdough he was onwy 29 years owd, he was de most famous representative of Buddhism in parwiament. At de conference, he made severaw appearances on dree main demes. Firstwy, he said dat Buddhism is a rewigion, which perfectwy consistent wif modern science, because de Buddhist teachings are compwetewy compatibwe wif de doctrine of evowution, uh-hah-hah-hah. He outwined de Buddhist idea dat de cosmos is a seqwentiaw process of depwoyment in accordance wif de waws of nature. Secondwy, Dharmapawa said dat in de edics of Buddhism is much more wove and compassion dan in de sermons of Christian missionaries working in Ceywon, uh-hah-hah-hah. By a dird paragraph of his performances was de assertion dat Buddhism is a rewigion of optimism and activity, but in any case not of pessimism and inactivity.[11][28]

In 1924 in London Humphreys[29] founded de Buddhist Lodge of de Theosophicaw Society.[K] According to Humphreys, conceptuawwy de Theosophy and Buddhism are identicaw: de singwe wife after many incarnations returns to de Unmanifest; aww de individuaw consciousness are unreaw compared to de "Sewf", which is a refwection of de Absowute; karma and reincarnation are a basic waws. Paf ways drough sewf-fuwfiwwment wif Nirvana in de end. Thus, wrote Humphreys, de difference between de Theosophy and Buddhism is onwy in emphasis.[31][L]

Thanks to de missionary efforts of Dharmapawa, in 1926 de British Buddhists estabwished deir branch Maha Bodhi Society.[33] At de same time de Buddhist Lodge was transformed into de British Buddhist Society, whose president become Humphreys.[34][35] Humphreys was a tirewess way Buddhist as a wecturer, journawist, writer and organizer. He was de audor and/or de editor of The Buddhist Lodge Mondwy Buwwetin,Buddhism in Engwand,The Middwe Way, and The Theosophicaw Review.[34]

British phiwosopher and Buddhist audor Awan Watts[36] became a member of de Buddhist Lodge of de Theosophicaw Society in London at de age of 15. His first book, The Spirit of Zen came out when he was 19 years owd.[M]

The famous Buddhist phiwosopher and popuwarizer of ZenD. T. Suzuki[40][41] and his wife Beatrice Suzuki became members of de Theosophicaw Society in Tokyo in 1920; deir names appear on de wist of Theosophicaw Society members sent to Adyar on 12 May 1920. After moving to Kyoto in 1924, de Suzukis formed a new branch of de Theosophicaw Society cawwed de Mahayana Lodge. Most of de Lodge members were university professors. In 1937 Jinarajadasa, future president of de Theosophicaw Society, read two wectures in Tokyo which were transwated into Japanese by D. T. Suzuki.[42]

According to buddhowogistsReigwe and Taywor, and Bwavatsky hersewf, and her immediate Masters, and de Master of her Masters were Buddhists by faif and wexis, who were strongwy associated by rewationships "pupiw-teacher". Bwavatsky often uses in her works de references to Buddhism, in particuwar, to de Mahayana teachings, whiwe in de "mahatma wetters" Buddhism is present on virtuawwy every page, and it is immediatewy evident from de freqwent use of specific terminowogy on de Sanskrit, Pawi, Tibetan, Chinese and Mongowian wanguages.[43][44]

Humphreys wrote dat deosophists got deir knowwedge from two Masters who prepared Bwavatsky for her mission in de worwd. Their wetters were pubwished water, in 1923: it was a book The Mahatma Letters to A. P. Sinnett.[45] He noted dat de founders of de deosophicaw movement, Bwavatsky and Owcott, pubwicwy decwared demsewves Buddhists and, more important stiww, de two Masters, who founded de Theosophicaw movement, spoke: "Our Great Patron is de Teacher of Nirvana and de Law." And deir Master, de Maha-Chohan, once said, describing himsewf and his fewwow-adepts, dat dey were aww "de devoted fowwowers of de spirit incarnate of absowute sewf-sacrifice, of phiwandropy, divine kindness, as of aww de highest virtues attainabwe on dis earf of sorrow, de man of men, Gautama Buddha."[46][47] Speaking about Buddha, Humphries repeatedwy qwoted de Master Kudumi,[P] for exampwe:

"Our great Buddha—de patron of aww de adepts, de reformer and de codifier of de occuwt system."[49][50]

Humphreys in his autobiography praised The Secret Doctrine. At de time he pubwished an abridgment of dis book.[55][R]

Bwavatsky cwaimed to have access to a popuwarised version of Buddhist secret doctrines, a fourteen vowume esoteric commentary, "worked out from one smaww archaic fowio, de Book of de Secret Wisdom of de Worwd", as weww as secret texts she termed Kiu-Te.[57] Buddhowogist David Reigwe identified Bwavatsky's "Books of Kiu-te" as de Tantra section of de Tibetan Buddhist canon.[58]

Zen Buddhism schowar D. T. Suzuki wrote about Bwavatsky's book The Voice of de Siwence: "Undoubtedwy Madame Bwavatsky had in some way been initiated into de deeper side of Mahayana teaching and den gave out what she deemed wise to de Western worwd."[S] He awso commented: "Here is de reaw Mahayana Buddhism."[T]

In 1927 de staff of de 9f Panchen Lama Tub-ten Cho-gyi Nyima hewped Theosophists put out de "Peking Edition" of The Voice of de Siwence.[U]

The 14f Dawai Lama Tenzin Gyatso wrote in de preface to de 1989 Centenary edition of The Voice of de Siwence, "I bewieve dat dis book has strongwy infwuenced many sincere seekers and aspirants to de wisdom and compassion of de Bodhisattva Paf."[V]

Humphreys wrote: "The Buddhists and Theosophists of de West, aww converts, be it noted, from some oder faif, have much in common: The Voice of de Siwence ('a pure Buddhist work', as de wate Anagarika Dharmapawa of Ceywon wrote to me, and de Dawai Lama signed my copy wong ago) and Cowonew Owcott's Buddhist Catechism."[46]

According to Kawnitsky, de contents of The Voice of de Siwence refwects "audentic Buddhist sentiment, even if not universawwy acknowwedged as a pure Buddhist historicaw document."[59]

According to Lopez, audor of Esoteric Buddhism "has a broader view of de Buddha" dan dat of Western Buddhowogists and schowars of Orientaw studies. Sinnett stated dat de Buddha is simpwy one of a row "of adepts who have appeared over de course of de centuries."[60] Buddha's next incarnation happened approximatewy sixty years after his deaf. He appeared as Shankara, de weww-known Vedantic phiwosopher. Sinnett noted dat for de uninitiated it is known dat date of Shankara's birf is one dousand years after Buddha's deaf, and dat he was hostiwe to Buddhism. Sinnett wrote dat de Buddha came as Shankara "to fiww up some gaps and repair certain errors in his own previous teaching."[61] The Buddha had weaved "from de practice of earwier adepts by opening de paf" to adeptship to men of aww castes. "Awdough weww intentioned, dis wed" to a deterioration of occuwt knowwedge when it was penetrated into ignominious hands.[60] Sinnett wrote dat to furder appeared a need "to take no candidates except from de cwass which, on de whowe, by reason of its hereditary advantages, is wikewy to be de best nursery of fit candidates."[62]Sinnett cwaimed dat de Buddha's next incarnation was as de great Tibetan adept reformer of de 14f century Tsong-ka-pa.[63]

The existence of a hidden or esoteric teaching in Buddhism is not accepted by ordodox Buddhists. For exampwe, Rhys Davids wrote:

"In dis connection I shaww doubtwess be expected to say a few words on Theosophy, if onwy because one of de books giving an account of dat very curious and widewy spread movement has been cawwed Esoteric Buddhism. It has awways been a point of wonder to me why de audor shouwd have chosen dis particuwar titwe for his treatise. For if dere is anyding dat can be said wif absowute certainty about de book it is, dat it is not esoteric, and not Buddhism. The originaw Buddhism was de very contrary of esoteric."[64][W][X]

Guénon bewieved dat Bwavatskyan "deosophism" is a "confused mixture" of Neopwatonism, Gnosticism, Jewish Kabbawah, Hermeticism, and occuwtism. He wrote: "From de start dis heterocwite mixture was presented as 'esoteric Buddhism'; but since it was stiww too easy to see dat it presented onwy very vague rewationships wif true Buddhism."[68]

"Despite de wegend which she and her hagiographers propagated, Bwavatsky never stepped on Tibetan soiw. Her cwaims dat her water writings derived from Himawayan Mahatmas, forming a kind of Atwantean broderhood residing in secrecy in a remote region of Tibet and wif access to wonghidden, antediwuvian sources of esoteric wisdom, need not be treated seriouswy."[69]

In 2015 Udida Devapriya stated dat Owcott's Buddhist Catechism was based on de Cadowic Catechism, and his schoows were by same institutions which he criticised: "This meant dat de Buddhism he 'founded' was not de sort of Buddhism which Gunananda Thero began a journey to find."[70]

^Bwavatsky cwaimed dat before her arrivaw in America she studied for seven years in Tibet under de direction of mahatmas, and dat water she maintained tewepadic contact wif dem, especiawwy wif de Masters Kudumi and Morya – sometimes drough dreams and visions, but most of aww, drough wetters, which materiawized in her room in a cupboard, or she wrote down dem hersewf by automatic writing.[8]

^Mewton wrote dat Owcott become an avid supporter of Buddhism and a defender of de Sri Lankan Buddhists.[10]

^Thanks to Bwavatsky and Owcott, David in 1880 was open to de worwd, and he joined de efforts of Owcott on de revivaw of Buddhism in Ceywon, uh-hah-hah-hah.[13]

^Simiwarwy Owcott is considered a weading figure in de modern history of Sri Lankan Buddhism.[5]

^Previouswy David received permission of his fader. But de day of departure de fader changed his mind, because he had a bad dream. The situation was resowved by Bwavatsky: she towd de fader dat if David wiww not be awwowed to weave, he wiww die. Finawwy Bwavatsky wed David "by his hand up de gangpwank."[17]

^The Smawwer Buddhist Catechism was approved and recommended for de instruction of Buddhist chiwdren by Hikkaduwe Sri Sumangawa Thero. It was transwated into Sinhawa by Anagarika Dharmapawa (pubwished in two parts in 1889).[23]

^Speaking of himsewf, Jinarajadasa noted: "I am a Buddhist by birf; but I am a Theosophist first and a Buddhist after."[26]

^June 23, 1886 Bwavatsky has sent a wetter to Leadbeater in which were rows rewating to Sri Lankan Buddhists: "My wove and bwessings to Don David and aww de Bredren, uh-hah-hah-hah. My greatest respectfuw sawams to de High Priest Rev. Sumangawa. Ask his bwessing to me."[27]

^Owdmeadow wrote dat deosophy, occuwtism and Buddhism are intricatewy intertwined in de individuaw of Humphreys.[30]

^Humphreys cwaimed dat de deosophy is concentrated wisdom of mankind.[32]

^One of de most famous buddhowogists 20f century Edward Conze was a deosophist.[35]

^"Koot Hoomi... is not de Master's personaw name, but de titwe of his office as a high dignitary of de Koodoompa sect of Tibetan Buddhism."[48]

^See The Tibetan Book of de Dead, p. 7 footnote.See awso note 24: "The Lama Kazi Dawa Samdup was not onwy knowwedgeabwe of de Secret Doctrine, wike Evans-Wentz, but in a position to confirm de genuineness of some of HPB's statements regarding esoteric Tibetan teachings."[54]

^Two of most important Bwavatsky's works are The Secret Doctrine and The Voice of de Siwence.[3] Hurst wrote: "Bwavatsky's Buddhist-infwuenced book The Secret Doctrine remains infwuentiaw as a spirituaw text and in print after more dan a century."[56]

^Nonedewess Humphreys wrote dat "Buddha's Teaching was not born from a spirituaw vacuum, but was an expression of some portion of dat Gupta Vidya 'de accumuwated Wisdom of de ages', which antedates aww known rewigions."[65]
"Gupta-vidya (Sanskrit) Gupta-vidyā [from gupta from de verbaw root gup to conceaw, preserve + vidyā knowwedge, wisdom] Secret knowwedge, secret wisdom; de source of aww rewigions and phiwosophies known to de worwd: deosophy, de ancient wisdom-rewigion, de esoteric phiwosophy."[66]

^Sinnett received instruction from Tibetan Masters, and Rhys Davids bewieved dat Lamaism was a Rewigion not onwy different from Buddhism, but and being in his time in antagonism wif de teachings and de institutions of originaw Buddhism.[67]